The Underlying Theme
by skiergal
Summary: Sam figured out what Jack was trying to say


Title: The Underlying Theme

Summary: Sam realized what Jack was trying to say.

Spoilers: Affinity, Chimera, Heroes Pt 1&2,

Disclaimer: Not mine; if they were Pete and Kerry never would have shown up….But my birthday is coming, they would be a nice present!

**CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN 13:00 HOURS**

"Major, have you seen Colonel O'Neill this weekend?" General Hammond asked, as he got into the lift with the Sam.

"Major, are you alright?" He asked when he got no response from Sam.

"Oh, sorry sir, yes I'm fine, and no, I haven't seen him since he left two days ago." She said, staring back off at the metal walls.

"Thank you Major, oh, and congratulations on your engagement." He said, as he stepped off the lift at sub-level 18.

"Thank you sir…" she trailed off as the doors shut behind him, leaving her alone in the lift, with her diamond ring. It was a pretty ring, really, but she hated it. It symbolized something she wasn't sure she wanted with Pete. He was a nice guy, slightly eccentric, but he loved her, and while she didn't love him, she had strong feelings for him, and was allowed to admit those feelings, even if she never did. The ring was gaudy though, over the top. It was a .75 diamond surrounded by two emeralds, on a huge 24 carat gold ring.

Her thoughts trailed back to Jack, and the conversation she had had with him before he left for his down time, after she had shown him the ring.

"_What about you, if things had been different, where would you be?"_

"_Well, I wouldn't be here…"_

Suddenly it hit her, what he had meant, what he was trying to tell her. The sad expression he had had in his eyes as he left her lab.

When the lift reached the surface, she ran as fast as she could with her laptop banging against her leg, and her files tucked safely under her arm. She opened her saddlebags, threw her files in one and her laptop in the other, yanked her helmet on over her mussed hair, and kicked the starter. It sputtered, but wouldn't turn over. She kicked it again, but still, the engine wouldn't catch. _Great, just my luck_, she thought, and kicked it one more time. To her surprise, it caught, and she roared off onto the highway that would take her into Colorado Springs.

When she reached her small house, she killed the motor, and coasted into her driveway, her mind working in overtime so much that she didn't see the car parked under the tree in front of her house.

She grabbed her files and laptop, chucked the helmet on the seat, and walked up to her front door, trying to balance the laptop and files while trying to get her keys.

"Here, let me grab those Sammie," came a voice from behind her.

She cringed at the name, and then slowly turned around to face her fiancé.

"Hi Pete, no I've got them, thanks though…" she said as he made a grab towards her stack of materials.

As she walked through the house, she flipped on her lights, and once in the kitchen, dropped her laptop on the kitchen table, and her files on the counter.

She bent to grab her charger, but was interrupted by a hand grabbing her wrist, and as she started to complain, Pete spun her around, pressed her against the kitchen counter, and lowered his lips to hers.

At the last second, she turned her head, so that his lips only grazed hers, and mostly got her cheek.

"Sammie, what's wrong, aren't you happy to see me?" He growled, pushing his lower body against hers.

"Pete, stop." She said, pushing him away from her, and turning towards her bedroom. She opened her closet, and grabbed a suitcase, and started throwing things into it, as she started to speak.

"I have to stay at the mountain this week, so I won't be able to see you until next weekend, maybe later than that, okay?"

"Actually Sammie, that's what I came to talk about." Came a voice from behind her.

"What do you mean 'that's what you came to talk about'?" She said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Well," he took a deep breath, "I want you to quit."

Fifteen minutes later her front door opened and slammed shut, and Pete walked out, upset, mad, confused, and holding and engagement ring.

Sam watched him go, tears of anger, hurt, and resentment welled up in her eyes. She slid down her front door, and buried her head in her hands, as she scrunched up on the floor, finally letting loose. In fifteen minutes her life had unraveled. Everything that needed to be said had been said, and some things that hadn't. She learned that he had done a background check on her, and that he wasn't on a stake out that night during the Osiris fiasco. He had followed her, and jeopardized the mission, because he wanted to date her. _How could I have not seen right through that? Why was I the only one that didn't see him for what he was? I certainly wasn't blinded by love…or was it the need for love?_ With a start she sat up, remembering why she had left the base in such a hurry. Jack. She furiously wiped her eyes, and grabbed her half packed suitcase, threw it into the back of her Volvo, and pulled out of her driveway, pulling out her cell phone as she drove.

"Siler? It's Major Carter, can you put Teal'c on the line please….thanks." While waiting for the call to be put through, she pondered what she was going to say to Jack when she got there. Somehow, "I'm sorry" really didn't seem like it was going to cut it.

"Major Carter, you wished to speak with me?" Teal'c's deep baritone came through the line.

"Yah, umm how do you get to Jack' cabin?"

Jack saw the headlights a split second before he heard the car start up his driveway. He was surprised when instead of the SF he'd been expecting, Sam had stepped out of the car. She stretched, flashing an inch of her stomach, and then walked up to the front door, not seeing Jack perched on the roof, telescope set up nearby.

She knocked, waiting, but after two minutes gave up, and started to walk around the house. It was only when she stepped out into the glow of the porch lamp did he see that her eyes were read, and there were streaks of tears down her face.

"Hey, Carter, up here," he whispered, not wanting to wreck the stillness of the woods. She glanced up, spotted him, and then quickly went over to the ladder that was perched against the house.

"Long day?" he asked when she sat down beside him. She didn't answer, just looked out over the pond, the moonlight glistening off of the water. He decided not to push the subject, but moved closer to her.

They sat in silence until Jack noticed that her teeth were chattering, and she was shaking slightly.

"C'mon, lets get you down, okay?" He asked, gently grabbing her hand to pull her to her feet.

She resisted, finally looking up at him, tears glistening in her eyes.

"How can you be so nice, after all that I have put you through, how can you possibly still be able to treat me like you always did?" She whispered, dropping her head to look at the roofing.

He was taken aback. His two degrees that no one knew about failed him again, and all he could think to do was to sit down beside her and envelope her in his arms. She leaned into his embrace, and the tears started coming. She cried into his shirt, while all the while he mumbled comfort into her ear, occasionally pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Better?" He asked when she finally pulled away, her eyes bloodshot and puffy.

"You never answered my question." She whispered, then quickly stood up and walked to the ladder, down the ladder, and into the open back door.

When he walked into his cabin half an hour later, Sam was a wreck. She had no idea what had come over her, and was scared that her earlier actions would end their friendship, because she was certain that he could never love her.

He walked up behind her, and gently grasped her wrist like Pete had done earlier, but so much more gently. He turned her around to see her eyes, still puffy and red, filling with tears. He led her to the den, and sat her on the couch, then sat himself on the other end, and turned to face her.

"Sam, open your eyes, I want you to see me while I tell you this." He said, and she slowly opened her eyes, afraid of the answer, and surprised at the name change. He only smiled in return.

"I can still treat you the same, because while you hurt me, your happiness is so much more important to me, and if you were happy with Pete, then I was happy." She opened her mouth to reply, but he shushed her, and placed two fingers gently on her lips.

"I can still treat you the same, because you are immortal to me Samantha. I love that your eyes light up when you find some doohickey, I love that you know I understand, but explain it anyway, I love that you taught Jonas how to be a human, and that when Janet died you stepped in and became Cassie's mother. I love it that you put up with an old man like me with a twisted sense of humor, and a bad knee. I love that you are not afraid to stand up to anyone, and you hold your ground when you know you are right. I love that you taught me that not all scientists are bad and evil and out to get me, and I love that you work so hard. I can trust you with my six, and I appreciate that."

He looked up from where he had grasped her hand, and saw emotion in Sam's eyes.

"What?" he asked, alarmed.

"No, no, sir, I'm fine, its just…." And that was the final straw. He reached over and hugged her, hard, pulling her onto his lap so that he could comfort her as the tears broke lose again.

"Sir, I broke up with Pete, I…I…I couldn't do that to him, to me, to you." She said into the fabric of his shirt. He pulled her back so he could look at her, surprise flashing all over his face.

"Why Samantha, what couldn't you do?"

She closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and opened them.

"I couldn't marry him, but be in love with you at the same time."

Jack sat, stunned, until Sam pulled back, worried that she had been right, and that she had made herself vulnerable, and the feelings were not reciprocated; Jack quickly tightening his grasp on her wrist, and pulled her to him, so that her face was inches away from his.

"Sam, do you mean that?" he asked carefully, bracing himself for the answer he knew had to be coming. She couldn't possibly love him, right?

"Yes Jack, I mean it. I am in love with you. I tried to ignore it, knowing that you could never love me, but earlier today, I finally admitted to myself that I loved you, and there was no turning back."

Before she knew what was happening, his lips were on hers, hungry and demanding. She reciprocated the need, and soon found herself pressing Jack into the couch, reaching for his shirt buttons. He tore his mouth from hers, wanting to make sure this wasn't just lust.

"Sam, are you sure you want this?"

"Jack, do you love me?" Jack, startled by the question, quickly recovered.

"Yes Sam, with all of my heart, why?"

"Then that's all I need to know."

With that, Jack picked her up amid squeals of delight, and gently laid her on his bed.

"Samantha Carter, I love you."

"Jack O'Neill, I love you."

And with that they started down the journey of love, filled with hope, desire, and most of all, each other.

A/N: I know that was an incredibly cheesy ending, but hey….I'm just trying to get into the swing of writing. But, like, no like? Please tell.


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